Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 13, 2020
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11
One of the most exciting things about life is having dreams. . . dreams for our careers, our husbands, wives, kids, friends, and significant others. It can be thrilling to have dreams for love, friendship, making an impact, traveling, or serving in a particular role.
Dreams can be the reason for so much fun in life. They can bring excitement and create anticipation that helps us get out of bed each day.
But dreams can also bring deep pain to our hearts when they don’t align with God’s plans. Often, we don’t understand that this is our reality until we hit a dead end and it becomes clear that God is saying no.
At this point, we may buy into the lie that God is against us and we may believe He doesn’t love us. “After all,” you may think, “this has happened to me before. I can’t ever really get what I want. God always says no to the things I really care about. And here is proof again that He doesn’t really love me.”
If you’ve ever felt this way, it’s important to remember that the lie that God is withholding what would be good from us, is against us, and that He doesn’t love us, is as old as the book of Genesis. Remember when the serpent suggested to Eve that God was withholding the good of the fruit of the tree which was in the midst of the garden? (Genesis 3:1-7)
The lie that we can’t ever get what we want and that God is withholding good from you ultimately stems from sin that started in the Garden—and it can be exacerbated by our earliest relationships with our earthly parents.
If you believe God is always withholding good from you, your faulty perspective may be connected to how your earthly parents related to you when you were small. Were they there for you? Did they pay attention to your needs? Were they attentive and consistent? Did they make you feel special, or did they neglect you?
Believing that I couldn’t ever get what I wanted and that God was always denying me was a faulty perspective that I wrestled with for a long time. It took years of walking with the Lord and seeing His faithfulness to understand that He was not like my earthly father. And honestly, sometimes when life disappoints, the Adversary still tries to convince me that God is withholding good.
But deep down I know that when my dreams don’t line up with God’s plans, it doesn’t mean He’s against me. It simply means He has something else in mind that lines up with His perfect will. The cross is proof of His deep love and that He would never do anything to hurt me—or you.
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love” (1 John 4:16).
Prayer
Lord, I am thankful that you are always with me. Help me to take the time to listen for you and share with you. I love you. Amen.
Application
Set aside a few moments to sit and listen for His voice. Don’t read. Just listen.
Related Reading
Romans 5:8; Proverbs 4:23; Jeremiah 29:11
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When life disappoints, the Adversary tries to convince us that God is withholding good—but He is still good. #WisdomHunters #dreams #truth #Jesus
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